One type of door window regulator is described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Patent Publication No. Syou. 58-78381, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei. 7-32877 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei. 7-305564. The devices described in these documents include a guide rail fixed to a door, a window holder fixed to a door window and a pair of wire cable ends for slidably moving the window holder. The described device uses a motor having an output shaft that is associated with a drum. A wire cable is wrapped around the drum, or alternatively two wire cables are wrapped around the drum with one end of each wire cable being connected to the drum. In the case of a single wire cable, both ends of the wire cable are attached to the window holder. In the alternative case in which two wire cables are employed, one end of each wire cable is attached to the window holder.
In this device, when the motor rotates the drum winds up the wire cable around the drum or unwinds the wire cable off the drum. Therefore, the window holder with the door window moves up or down along the guide rail.
However, the device described above is susceptible of certain disadvantages and drawbacks. In one respect, the device is designed in such a way that the wire cable is not located within the width of the guide rail, thus making the device relatively large. Also, the wire cable faces the door window and so the wire cable can contact and rub the door window, thus resulting in inefficient operations and excessive part wear.
In light of the foregoing, a need exists for a door window regulator which is not susceptible of the disadvantages and drawbacks associated with other known devices.
It would be desirable to provide a door window regulator of reduced size that is designed in a way that reduces or eliminates the possibility that the wire cable will contact and rub against the door window.
It would also be desirable to provide a door window regulator which is efficient in operation and does not cause excessive part wear.